An economy that works.

For everyone.

We invest in businesses that reveal and reinforce the talent of people breaking through barriers to employment.

We call these businesses employment social enterprises (or ESEs, for short).

How We Invest:

Chef trainee at employment social enterprise Kitchens for Good holds out a bowl of fresh food

Capital

We fuel the growth of this movement through grants, impact investments, and by unlocking public sector capital, yielding these results:

$2.23 Social Return on Investment (SROI) for every dollar invested

$2.5 billion+ cumulative revenue earned by ESEs since 1997

133K+ people employed

Capacity

We combine that capital with customized capacity-building support that helps these businesses go further, faster.

6x growth in people employed

2x growth in revenue earned for ESEs

59k+ jobs created from 2021-2023

Community

As we build the field, we also build the sense of community that fuels it — connecting leaders more deeply with the work and each other.

91% of leaders feel a sense of support

85% of leaders feel a sense of belonging and inclusion

I am excited to continue advocating for a more inclusive workplace and help others break through corporate barriers with the support of REDF.

REDF is an incredible organization. It has my undying commitment and passion because it is, to me, the secret sauce — the one thing that works for people with high barriers to employment.

REDF's role as a trailblazer in the employment social enterprise sector has created a wealth of opportunities for those excluded from the workforce. The Justice and Mobility Fund, a collaboration launched by The Ford Foundation and Blue Meridian Partners with support from the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies, has been pleased to call REDF an investee in pursuit of our mutual goal of boosting economic mobility for justice-impacted individuals.